#2. Will the Leafs Even Make the Playoffs?
Personally, I think the Toronto Maple Leafs are the best team in this division, but there is a ton of talent elsewhere.
Like I mentioned before, besides the Ottawa Senators, the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg Jets, Vancouver Canucks, Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs all have a chance to win the division. Would it really be that shocking if the Leafs finished with the fourth or fifth best record?
A minimum of two of those six franchises is going to be incredibly disappointed at the end of the regular season. All of those teams think they’re in their Stanley Cup window, but not all of them are going to make the playoffs. The Leafs could be one of those two teams where that happens.
The core is still intact with the Leafs, but the rest of the team is different. They have a brand new bottom-six and a number of new defensemen that should help the team, but we don’t know how they’ll blend. It’s quite possible that T.J. Brodie underperforms as that top-four defenseman and Joe Thornton and Wayne Simmonds are busts. I’m not saying it’s going to happen, but you never know.
The Leafs technically missed the playoffs last season, so why should we lock them in already? I think they’re going to make it and compete for a Stanley Cup, but it’s quite possible to think the opposite. The All-Canadian Division is very strong that anything can happen, so this will be an important storyline to follow all year.